IMAGE

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Imager for Magnetopause-to-Aurora Global Exploration (IMAGE)
Diagram of IMAGE spacecraft
Diagram of IMAGE spacecraft
General information
NSSDC ID 2000-017A
Organization NASA
Major contractors Johns Hopkins University
Launch date March 25, 2000[1]
Launch site Vandenberg Air Force Base
SLC-2W, California, U.S.[1]
Launch vehicle Delta II 7326[1]
Mass 536 kg (1181.7 lb)[1]
Diameter 2.2 m
Website http://image.gsfc.jhu.edu/
References: [1]
Specifications
Semi-major axis 29,815.4 kilometres (18,526.4 mi)
Excentricity 0.7530800104141235
Orbital inclination 90.01000213623047°
Apoapsis 462,484 kilometres (287,374 mi)
Periapsis 6,404 kilometres (3,979 mi)
Orbital period 853.90 minutes
Power 250.0 watts

IMAGE (from Imager for Magnetopause-to-Aurora Global Exploration), or Explorer 78, was a NASA MIDEX mission that studied the global response of the Earth's magnetosphere to changes in the solar wind. It was launched March 25, 2000 by a Delta II rocket from Vandenberg AFB and ceased operations in December 2005.

The IMAGE craft was placed in a 1,000×46,000 km orbit around the Earth, with an inclination of 90° (passing over the poles) and a 14.2 hour period. IMAGE was the first spacecraft dedicated to observing the magnetosphere of the Earth, and it produced comprehensive global images of plasma in the inner magnetosphere. It did this using five instruments:

An aurora as seen by the Far-Ultraviolet (FUV) Imaging System on board IMAGE

The CIDP as well as the Command & Data Handling Subsystem (main on-board computer) of the craft were built around the mission-proven RAD6000 avionics processors.

See also

External links

References

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